Open Forum

A local letter writer's assault on Rep. Al Doty's pro-life voting record continues. For the past two years MCCL has rated Rep. Doty at 100 percent on pro-life issues. By their rules, however, this is not sufficient to merit their endorsement because he did not promise to support all future legislation that has not even been written yet. His position on this matter applies to all lobbying organizations.

House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher has plainly told all DFL legislators that they are free to vote their beliefs on the matter of pro-life legislation. Democrats do not walk in lock step on this issue.

Rep. Doty is a man of honesty, integrity, and common sense. He has proven his pro-life values. He will continue to protect and defend our most vulnerable at all stages of life because it's the right thing to do. We have to wonder about those who only use this issue when it's politically convenient.

Michele Caron

Secretary

Morrison County DFL and Senate District 12 DFL

Little Falls

I won't help kill children

A recent letter writer says she likes facts when it comes to abortion? Well, here are some facts.

Fact: Life begins at conception. This is a scientific fact, not a religious speculation. Don't believe me? Check any embryology book.

Fact: Over 50 million unborn babies have been killed since the Roe v. Wade ruling.

Fact: We have not begun to calculate the true cost of abortion. Most people simplistically (and immorally) look only at the cost of the abortion versus the cost of raising a child from infancy to adulthood. Putting aside that this sort of moral calculus resembles the useless eaters; morality of the Nazis, it is not even correct from an economic standpoint for at least three reasons.

First, you cannot put a price tag on human potential. It is a bitter irony that our first African-American president (and most pro-abortion president ever) hails from the demographic group at highest risk for being aborted. That's right. One out of three African-American babies who are conceived are aborted. Had President Obama been the unlucky one out of three, we'd still be waiting for our first African-American president

Second, there are hidden costs to abortion, as some women do suffer serious mental and health consequences following an abortion and these complications can last a lifetime. No attempt has ever been made to quantify the cost of this collateral damage.

Third, it is highly unlikely that all aborted babies would become permanent wards of the state. Consequently, the cost of not aborting is grossly over-estimated.

Fact: Forcing taxpayers to pay for abortions who oppose them for moral reasons is a gross violation of conscience. And for the record, I am willing to pay taxes to help a poor mother raise her children, but not to help them kill her children.

Judith Muehlbauer

Brainerd

End state ethanol subsidies

I ask all concerned citizens of Minnesota to view the facts on ethanol subsidies at www.congressionalchange.com and demand an immediate end to a subsidy program that has more than fulfilled it's mission. As you can see at this site, we have already given these plants $300 million of our tax dollars. Yet our legislative leaders are still lobbying hard to insure $55 million more. All for a privileged group of ethanol plants that enjoyed the ethanol/energy boom, yet still want more tax dollars.

While the new plant at Janesville stands idle, yet doesn't receive a dime. So I ask you to contact your legislators, to end this wasteful program before Feb. 14. When the next checks are scheduled for delivery to St. Paul's fermented friends. Ensuring more political whisky will flow in the halls of St. Paul. While the rest of us swallow the bitter pills of reality.

Alan Roebke

Alexandria

Out of sight, out of mind

Before any president can enact, any senator can ratify, any congressman can author or any judge can rule on a law that supports abortion in any way they should be required to witness the remains of an aborted child spilled out in front of them into a stainless steel pan. Then they can say with total honesty, This is a good thing I am doing, that's not really a person. Visualize this sickening picture and then take a stand with your legislator.

Louie Hoffmann

Baxter

She'll support the Dispatch

A homesteaded resident since 1992, just three years away from reading This was Brainerd and I'll know first hand what was going on 20 years ago.

A favorite column no longer compiled by Bob Turcotte but someone named Terry McCollough. Wonder if the man plans to plant and maintain the floral welcome the Turcottes created in front of the Dispatch entrance. How often I made the trip, admired up close the beauty of that well-tended, three-season-brilliant flower bed.

Yes, I read about the cuts. Ten people I never got to say thank you or goodbye, good luck. I miss their talent, their affect on the personality of a newspaper.

A newspaper I can hold in my hands, read and reread, think and rethink, critically. Don't care to do that with a computer print-out. Nor do I depend on TV for its commercial-interrupted, much too brief news coverage.

Whatever the Dispatch (a crucial civic watchdog) must do in order to publish what happened or what is about to happen in the Brainerd lakes area, the state, everywhere, the newspaper has my complete support.

Joan Wiesner

Brainerd

Editor's note: Plans call for Bob and Joyce Turcotte to continue tending the flower bed at the entrance of the Brainerd Dispatch.

We'll pay for this idiocy

As our elected representatives mull over this massive $825 billion boondoggle, perhaps some facts will bring it into perspective.

1. This bill amounts to $2,700. spent for each American man, woman and child- $6,700. for each household!

2. Billed by the Democrats as a transportation and infrastructure package, only $7 billion will be spent on highways in the first year, prompting even the liberal North Dakota senator, Kent Conrad, to concede that the recession could be over on its own by that time.

3. Obama has said this plan would save or create three million jobs, this would come at a cost of a mere $275,000 per job! (Our average household income is $50,000.) Such a deal!

There are many other inanities as well, including $400 million for national treasures, $6 billion for colleges and Universities, many of which have Billion Dollar endowments. But worst of all is $166 billion for the states, where profligate Democratic politicians have ransomed the state to the public employee and teacher unions in furtherance of their own political careers. The columnist, Glen Reynolds, says it best This is not so much a Stimulus, as a massive transfer of wealth, from the politically unconnected to the politically connected.

Quoting the late Dr. Adrian Rogers, You cannot legislate the poor into freedom, by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The Government cannot give to anybody, anything that the Government does not first take from someone else.

Read it and weep, young and old will be paying for this idiocy the rest of our lives!

Bob Quirk

Breezy Point

Rep. Al Doty's MCCL rating

Here we go again. The elections are barely over and the unfounded attacks begin anew. A local letter writer again chastised Rep. Al Doty in the recent Morrison County Record for his 100 percent MCCL pro-life rating. Apparently that is not good enough for some of the pseudo-Christians in our voting public. MCCL's 100 percent pro-life rating must mean something.

Judge Rep. Al Doty on his character, on his integrity, on his voting record, not on a survey, which binds him to vote for any and all legislation, now and in the future, which MCCL puts in front of him. I want a representative, who studies what's before him, not automatically votes the way someone else tells him to vote. I trust Rep. Al Doty's intelligence, common sense, and knowledge of the issues in all their respects.

The Republican Party was in control of the White House, both the Senate and the House of Representatives for six of the past eight years. If they were serious about reversing Roe v. Wade, surely the opportunity was there. Apparently they just want and need a political football every election to appeal to those foolish enough not to look beyond the surface of any and all issues.

Horst G. Hanneken

Pierz

Pull the plug on Limbaugh

I read in the paper a quote from Rush Limbaugh, where he said, and I quote. I hope he fails. The he Rush was talking about is our president and his policies. I find it hard to believe that any person who loves his country would make a statement like that. Has he not seen enough failure in the last eight years to last a lifetime? Has he not seen the suffering that is going on in this country -- and he wants it to continue? What's the matter with him?

Rush, if you're so fed up with the current administration, that has been in office for less than two weeks, that you want them to fail, and our country with him, then move to another country. We can work with this administration and Congress and try to make things better or we can sit in our bully pulpits and contribute nothing more than sarcastic remarks that make no sense.

I am not a listener of Limbaugh's. I used to be years ago, but his phony hand-picked call-in fans, and his pompous attitude, turned me off. If there is plug to be pulled it should be his show.

Mike Holst

Crosslake

Ward survey is in Dispatch

Our state is facing serious economic challenges. Over the coming weeks, the state Legislature will be working with the governor to meet these challenges; I'm asking for your help.

On Wednesday, Feb. 4, I will have a survey inserted into both area papers. I hope you will take the time to answer the questions and mail the survey back to me. Or, if you would rather complete it online, go to www.voteforward.net. Your opinions will help me determine how I vote on the serious issues before us.

It is a great honor to represent you, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Rep. John Ward

DFL-Brainerd

District 12A

Franzen helped Nisswa couple

A lot of criticism has been directed at the county commissioners recently for the way they handled pay raises, mileage and per diem. I won't make a judgment here on those actions, which encompass only one of many aspects of their responsibilities. With all that negative press, however, I think that credit should be given where due.

Last year we were faced with a complicated land use issue that didn't seem to fit into the one size fits all standard rules. We contacted Rosemary Franzen for help in understanding the rules and to determine our options. She didn't just sit in her office and make some off the top suggestions. Rather, she drove out to meet with us and inspect the area in question so that she could fully understand our problem and concerns. Once she had the information, she met with others and determined whom we should work with to find a solution.

Most of us never require help from one of our elected officials, but when we do, I hope that they all respond in a manner similar to the way Rosemary responded to our plea for help.

Art Brown

Nisswa

Coleman is lawyered up

Norm Coleman has as many lawyers representing him in his hope of regaining his senate seat as O. J. Simpson had in his murder case of years ago! I find it ironic as months ago he claimed to be the winner!

Who's paying the bill for these high powered lawyers? Taxpayers? I hope not!

James Cummings

Nisswa